Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Through the window, the center of the main hall was visible.
Chen Bozhou was kneeling there, his back ramrod straight.
Seated in the guest chair to the left was a young lady with permed hair and high heels, her expression tense.
Madam Chen was wiping away tears as she tried to persuade her son. “My son, you haven’t seen Ruyi yet. She is exceptionally beautiful, and her temperament is gentle and kind-”
“Mother!”
Chen Bozhou interrupted loudly, his voice carrying an unquestionable finality.
“A wooden beauty who is all surface and empty inside, a marionette who is blindly submissive and has no mind of her own-that is not the kind of woman I envision as my wife! Father, Mother, I am your only son. Do you really have the heart to bind me to such a soulless woman for the rest of my life?”
I gritted my teeth and supported Miss as we stepped over the threshold.
“Ruyi, good child, come here quickly! Bozhou is back!”
Madam Chen called out as soon as she saw Miss. In her haste to stand, she accidentally knocked over a teacup, soaking the hem of her skirt.
Without pausing, Miss walked straight past Chen Bozhou and stepped forward to steady Madam Chen. “Mother, don’t move. Watch out for the broken porcelain.”
She took a dry cloth from a servant, bent down, and carefully wiped the water stains from Madam Chen’s clothes.
“You animal! Ruyi is such a wonderful daughter-in-law. How can you say such things and put her in such a position!” Master Chen was livid. He threw the teacup lid directly at Chen Bozhou, hitting him on the forehead. A trail of blood began to wind its way down.
“Ah-”
The young lady let out a sharp cry of alarm. She rushed to Chen Bozhou’s side and turned to shout at the old man.
“Mr. Chen, this is a new era! Everyone is equal, and everyone has their own independent personality and dignity. Even if you are Bozhou’s father, you have no right to treat him so crudely!”
Master Chen trembled with rage. “You… who are you? This is a family matter. What right does an outsider like you have to point fingers!”
Chen Bozhou slowly stood up.
Blood stained his forehead, but his gaze was exceptionally firm. He spoke one word at a time:
“Her name is Shen Manli. We are both teachers at Jingping University, and we are soulmates who share the same ideals. I have returned this time for two reasons: first, to dissolve this old-fashioned betrothal; and second, to bring her to meet you. After the summer break ends, we will hold a modern wedding in Beiping!”
He stood side-by-side with Shen Manli in the center of the room, their heads held high, like two upright pines standing unyielding against a violent storm.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall fell into a dead silence.
No one dared to look at Miss’s face.
Over the past three years, Miss had served her parents-in-law with utmost care and treated the servants with kindness and tolerance. She had long ago earned the recognition of everyone in the Chen Family.
With Chen Bozhou’s return, everyone had been genuinely happy for her, thinking she had finally seen the clouds part to reveal the moon. No one expected things to turn out like this.
I stared fixedly at Miss.
If her shoulders trembled even slightly, or if a single spark of a tear appeared in her eyes, I would rush forward without a second thought and tear that pair of ‘lovers’ and his so-called ‘reasoning’ to shreds!
Miss had her back to them.
Her movements as she wiped the water stains were steady and meticulous, without a hint of disorder.
When her hand stopped, I thought I saw-
On her face, with her eyes cast down.
Very, very slowly.
The corner of her mouth curved upward.
…
Miss handed the wet cloth to a nearby maid.
When she turned around, her expression showed no sign of anything unusual. She possessed the exact dignity and composure expected of a lady from a great household.
“Chen Bozhou.”
She spoke slowly, her voice clear and gentle, like the sound of jade striking stone.
“I agree to the divorce. However, we must wait two months. Are you willing?”
Chen Bozhou’s gaze finally fell upon Miss’s face.
He froze slightly.
A flicker of astonishment crossed his eyes, followed by a sense of pure, unadulterated wonder.
Shen Manli, standing beside him, was also stunned.
Clearly, the person before them was not the ridiculous, bound-footed wife she had spoken of.
The setting sun slanted in, reflecting off Miss’s face.
She wore no makeup, her dark hair was simple, and her clothes were plain, yet the aura of serene composure she exuded made the noise and agitation that had filled the room just a moment ago suddenly seem shallow and laughable.